A Different Kind of Fairy Tale
by BehindTheWords
Summary: AU - Storyline from the movie Imagine Me & You, characters from SoN. Everyone promises you happily ever after. But how do you know you've chosen the one when life is so full of possibilites?
1. Chapter 1

Okay, this is my second fanfic so far, and I think I'm improving. This story is based on the movie "Imagine Me & You", while the characters I've used are from South of Nowhere. Go Spashley! X3

I don't own the movie nor the TV-show, none of the characters, and as you may notice, I've taken some lines from the movie as well.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy and please review! If you've watched the movie, and have some favorite scenes you want me to add to the story, please send me a message and I'll consider it.

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**Chapter 1: The Way****s of Fairy Tales**

(Ashley's POV)

"Okay, I need some flowers that say something like: "I'm sorry that I accidently ran over your golf equipment with the car, but you got what you deserved after spilling the god damned beer over my new purse AND dying all my clothes pink the last time you tried to wash them, including my favorite skirt!" The woman continued to babble about her obviously quite screwed up relationship with this guy I felt more and more sorry for with every passing minute. I sighed and glanced down at my watch, counting down every second to my long awaiting freedom.

The door bell rang furiously as someone stepped in, obviously in a rush. "Ashley, have you forgotten about something?" Kyla asked and looked at me, irritation written all over her face. I looked back at her, quite puzzled, before it dawned upon me. "Shit!" I said, finally stopping the crazy woman's ramble, and grabbed my keys. "Thought so," my friend said dryly, rolling her eyes slightly but still not being able to hide her smile. I have that effect on people. Luckily you could say, as I often forget about things and then have to make up for them afterwards. Just like now.

"Well, the ceremony starts in about half an hour, so you still have some time, and besides of that, most of it is already taken care of." Kyla was checking her list as she talked. "You should probably go meet the family and see if everything's okay, and help them with the last stuff if there is any need of doing so. You know the deal." I nodded. Of course I did, I'd been working here just as long as she had.

"I know, I know, I'll see you tomorrow Ky," I said and walked out to my car. "Oh, and don't forget to give me a call if you meet any hot guys there," she winked at me. I made a grimace which made her laugh, knowing that I had no interest in doing so what so ever. "I'll see you tomorrow," I repeated and took off, not having any more time to spare if I was going to reach it in time.

It was already quite crowded when I arrived and it seemed like even more people were coming with every passing minute, everyone elegantly clad in suits and dresses. I looked down on my own clothes, smiling slightly embarrassed as I noticed a stain that looked suspiciously like dirt. "Just like the stereotypical florist," I mumbled to myself and chuckled, looking around for some recognizable faces among the people around me.

"Looking for me, gorgeous?" I heard a man's voice behind me. Just like I thought. I had met the guy once in my life and he already pretended like we were destined to be together forever. Just like I suspect he does with every woman he meets, I smirked to myself, quickly regretting my action as he obviously thought I was smiling because of him.

"Whoa, does my sex appeal turn you on that much?" he said, grinning. "I guess we have time for a quick round in the back room before the ceremony starts. You see, as much as I'd like to spend more time with you, I've to do my duties as best man. Got to help Aiden lose his freedom, you know." He laughed, and I smiled once again. He could be a real pervert, but Glen, I think that's his name, came off as a good friend, that much I knew from last time when I'd met both him and the bridegroom.

"No thanks, Glen," I smiled sweetly at him and looked at his costume. "You know, that dress could really use a flower." I stood there, just watching his suit for a moment as I tried to decide which one to pick. "I think this one would be perfect," I grinned as I grabbed a cactus, shoving it to his face. "Whoa whoa, easy there! I get it, even I know what a cactus signifies!" he said and held his hands up, surrendering. I laughed and put the cactus back, finding a new flower and quickly made sure it looked good on his suit. "There you go, now will you show me where the others are?"

After checking all the flowers and giving a hand to the bride's mom with some of the other details, I could smile satisfied, knowing that everything was perfect. Everyone was sitting in the church, Glen standing next to Aiden, the soon to be husband, at the front. It seemed like Aiden's nerves were finally showing off, as he stood there, turning back every fifth second or so to see if his bride was coming anytime soon.

Just as I got up, ready to leave, all the others got to their feet and the music started to play, signifying that the bride had arrived. I quietly walked away, casting a last glance as I was ready to leave, and it was then it happened. The music which was playing really loud suddenly seemed so distant to me as I met a pair of piercing, ocean blue eyes. My breath caught in my throat and I could feel my body stiffen, making me stop dead in my tracks. However, just as quick as the moment had arrived, it vanished as she looked away, straightening her gaze and giving her dad's sleeve a slight tug as they took yet another step towards the front. I quickly took off towards my car, shaking off the weird feeling and finally letting out my breath.

Parties can be so different, some are fun but most suck. This one however, was quite fun actually. The music was blasting really loud, people were dancing (or at least trying, as in the bride's dad's case. I've to admit it looked more like he was trying to communicate with some monkeys though), and I myself felt slightly better about my appearance than I had an hour ago. At least I'd managed to sneak off to get some other clothes on, needless to say they were free from dirt. I danced my way towards the drinks, quickly rejecting Glen when he tried to make me dance with him, and suddenly found myself standing right in front of her, our eyes locked.

"Hi," she said, smiling sweetly at me. "Hi," I answered, coughing as I realized that I had barely whispered my answer and that she probably hadn't heard my reply. "Hi," I repeated, smiling back, "we haven't met. I'm Ashley." She stared at me for a brief moment before she answered. "Spencer." I licked my lips unconsciously as we continued to stare at each other. God, I could really need a drink now. "I did your flowers," I said instead, deciding to wait. "You did? My flowers are nice." She flashed me another one of her adorable smiles, looking like she really meant what she'd said.

"Well, anyway," I said and motioned to the bowl of punch behind her, "I was just going to get a…" she moved quickly and blocked my way, looking rather embarrassed, "drink." I finished and looked at her, confused. She looked back and smiled, laughing nervously and shook her head so that her golden like tresses which were slightly curled, danced over her slender shoulders.

"I wouldn't," she said. I furrowed my brow as I looked at her, trying to get a grip of the situation. "What, is there something wrong? I'm here to help," I grinned and bowed slightly, tipping my imaginary hat. She stared at me for a few seconds, obviously wondering whether to confide in me or not, before she sighed. "My ring," she said and turned around, staring at the big bowl of punch in front of us.

"I was getting some of this punch crap and…" she grabbed the ladle and made a circular movement. "Your wedding ring?" I said in disbelief, having a hard time not to crack up. Our gazes met as we stared down at the punch, both of us starting to chuckle at the absurd situation. "Off and in there. My wedding ring is in there," she grinned and stirred the punch. "And you tried the ladle?" I asked. "Nothing," she answered. "Hmm, and you can't empty.." I cut myself off, "no, it's too big." She nodded and laughed.

"Right," I said and started to roll off my sleeves, "only one thing to do then. Cover me."

"What?" She asked, confusion written all over her face. I put my hands on her shoulders and motioned for her to stand behind me. "Use the dress, I'm going in," I said, sounding like one of these agents you see on TV. She laughed as she stood there, trying to hide me with her dress, looking over her shoulder to see how I was doing. "You can't just…" I pulled my whole arm inside of the bowl, searching for the ring. "Oh, yes, really, you can…" She corrected herself and cleared her throat, trying to suppress the laughter.

I smirked as I continued my search, which frantically got more desperate as I heard her clear her throat once again and greet someone with a small voice. "Hello, chica," I heard a woman's voice greet back. I cast a quick glance over my shoulder before I returned my attention to the punch and the still missing ring. I wasn't usually one to judge people that quickly, but she looked rather bitchy to me. Let Spencer take care of her, I thought and clenched my teeth as I moved my hand. Where was the damn ring?

"So, how is it to finally be a married woman?" I heard the woman ask. Before Spencer even got the chance to answer, she added: "I don't think I could do that myself though, I like my freedom way too much!" She laughed coquettish. "I bet you do," I could hear Spencer whisper behind me, but the other woman didn't seem to have heard her.

I finally retired my hand back, the wedding ring triumphantly in my hand, and grabbed Spencer's hand while she was still distracting the other woman, placing it on her finger. And not a moment too early it seemed, as the woman decided to grab the ladle in just that moment.

"Hi!" I jumped from behind Spencer, grinning at the woman in front of me. Spencer couldn't help but grin as she introduced me to her. "This is Ashley, she's a florist." "Name's Madison," the Latina in front of me said and eyed me up and down before extracting her hand. "But you can call me anything you'd like," she said and winked at me. "And I'm sure I will," I answered and grabbed her hand, shaking it. I almost failed to suppress my laughter as I saw her sudden change of expression, quickly pulling back her hand and excusing herself.

The rest of the evening was rather uneventful compared to the happening before, but still, it was one of the better weddings I had attended, and trust me, there've been quite the few since I started my job years ago.

Just as I was about to go, Glen rose up from his seat, getting everyone's attention. "Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to present to you," he paused briefly and looked down at his friend, "the great Aiden, who's now about to hold a speech for us! He's not sure he can do it, I know he can do it! Please welcome Aiden!" he shouted the last part and people applauded, waiting for Aiden to open his mouth. He, however, looked petrified as he stared at the people around him. Spencer quickly jumped up, grabbing his hand and leaning against him. After a moment of silence, she spoke up.

"Hi, everyone! I'm Aiden!" Some people laughed. "…and welcome to my wedding." Even more people laughed now. "And I'm really glad you're all here looking at me now, because," she paused and smiled, thinking for a moment, "because I wanted to tell you how much I love Spencer." Everyone was laughing now, including me. She definitely has a way with people, I thought as I watched her, standing in her white dress, looking gorgeous beyond belief. Okay, I so did not think that, did I? Anyway…

"What an amazing, fantastic, unique and beautiful person she is!" People laughed, and while they did, Spencer whispered something to Aiden. He shook his head and sat down quietly while she was still standing there. She smiled and blushed slightly before continuing. "Okay, so this is me now," she suddenly sounded more nervous as she got onto something more serious.

I then decided to leave, which I'd been meaning to some time now. As I made my way through the masses of people surrounding me, I could hear her voice. "I've been looking forward to this day all my life. And I'm glad to share it with so many people I love. I feel like I've known Aiden all my life, which I kind of have, but that's not the point," she chuckled, "and I believe I will know him for the rest of it. He's my best friend." She paused, and even though I was then outside, I could still hear her voice. "They say fairy tales have happy endings, even though the passage can be rough. But for us, it's been smooth all the way. Maybe that's a better kind of fairy tale…"

Maybe, I thought as I laid down, Spencer's words still occupying my head completely. "But who is to know if you haven't experienced the contrary?" I said and left out the lights, drifting into sleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.

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Okay, that's the first chapter. I hope you liked it, and now (you're not done yet 8D) you're going to review. As I mentioned earlier, if you have any favorite scenes you want me to use, send me a message, and I'll think about it.


	2. Chapter 2

Second chapter people, enjoy!

Thank you all so much for your reviews! I know it's such a cliché, everyone's constantly talking about how much the reviews mean for them and so on, but I realized now (as I started writing myself) that it's **the** most important part of the writing.

I'm glad there are others that like the movie as much as I do. )

Oh, and thanks for the scene suggestions as well! 3 I really want to add both of them, so we'll see. However, I'll have to change the classroom scene pretty much though, seeing as it would be unnatural to put Ashley and Spencer in a classroom now. (Sorry, H, for not letting you in the story! ; )

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(Ashley's POV)

"… I tell you, I screwed up majorly." The man in front of me looked outright depressed, choking back his sobs. "I just went to take a drink with the guys after work, not staying long or anything. But Olivia, she…" he hid his face in his hands. "She barked at me when I came home, and then went to sleep, using the whole bed herself, not giving me any space." He burst into tears and before I could even think of a reply, he hugged me tight and cried into my chest.

I stood there completely frozen and patted him awkwardly on the back with one of my hands. Why do all the crazy people come on my shifts? I thought as I stood there, not knowing what to do. I bet Kyla would love getting all the madmen.

A soft cough pulled me out of my rather paralyzed condition. I looked up, over the man's shoulder and met a pair of blue eyes. "Oh, sorry," she said, blinking confused at the man who was wiping his face. I quickly let go of him as I realized my arms were still patting his back. "Spencer!" I said a bit too loud.

"Hi," she said and smiled at me, giving the man another odd look before she fixated her eyes on me. "I was…erm, I was wondering whether…"

"What kind of flowers do you like?" the man suddenly interrupted her. "What?" she asked confused. "What kind of flowers do you like?," he repeated. "I need to make up with Olivia right away."

"Oh!" She furrowed her brow as she thought about her answer. Her fingers were playing with her hair. Did I mention how beautiful her hair is? Golden like tresses that run down her shoulders, always so damn perfect, as opposed to my own chestnut hair that seems to be living its own life.

I blushed as I realized what I was thinking about, staring at the floor. Oops, mistake, Ashley! One of her feet tapped repeatedly while she was thinking and I couldn't help but admire her tanned legs. I bit my lip. Her short skirt really isn't leaving much to the imagination. I lifted my gaze further up, taking in her slender figure clad in a simple tank top. Her arms were crossed, her head tilted slightly to the side.

"I think I like lilies," she answered him at last, smiling. He looked at her for a moment. "That'll do." The man turned and met my gaze, nodding slightly. "I'd like to buy a bouquet of your prettiest lilies, please."

Just as he was about to exit the shop with the hugest bouquet we'd managed to find in his hands, Spencer shouted after him. "Maybe you should buy her some chocolates as well?"

The man stopped dead in his tracks. "Are you out of your mind?" He stared at her with shock and disgust mixed in a not so flattering grimace. "Dalmatian's don't eat chocolates," he snorted arrogantly as he exited, quickly vanishing in the masses of people outside.

We turned and looked at each other at the same time, staring bewildered at one another for what seemed like ages before we broke the deadly silence, laughing so loudly that some of the people outside the shop stopped for a moment to see what was going on.

"Da… Dalmatian?" Spencer managed to breathe out between her fits of laughter, weeping a tear from the corner of her eye. "I thought he was talking about his girlfriend!"

I nodded as I tried to calm down, failing miserably. "Me too," I gasped, "but seriously, I don't think that guy will ever find a woman who'll be interested in him. Not if he's all about his dearest Olivia like we just witnessed."

Spencer chuckled, moving closer. Her eyes were sparkling, laughing just as loud as her voice, only in another way. An even sexier way, I thought and smirked. Whoa, what?! I shook my head, trying to get rid of the thoughts, and Spencer, who obviously thought I was just shaking my head at the memory of the guy, grinned.

"Anyway, I just came by to ask if you wanted to have dinner with me and Aiden?" She looked more serious all of a sudden, a slight hint of nervousness audible in her voice. I just stared at her, not saying anything. Dinner? With you? Oh, that's right. Aiden's going to be there too. Your husband. Can't forget about him, now can we? I wish we could though…

I snapped out of my thoughts, terrified by my own way of thinking. Then, I realized I hadn't answered her question. It seemed like she regretted asking, and she was about to open her mouth again when I cut her off.

"I'd love to." She froze, clicking her mouth shut. "What?" She asked, almost sounding confused of my answer. I smiled and leaned against the counter. "I'd love to, Spencer," I repeated, staring her in the eyes.

Her confused expression vanished, leaving an adorable smile that left me breathless. "Cool. Erm… does Thursday sound good?" She tilted her head to one side and looked at me. I nodded. I couldn't trust my own voice at the time being. "Then we'll see you at 8 o'clock." She gave me yet another one of her gorgeous smiles before she turned around and walked away.

--

It was already getting pretty cold outside, and even though I was wearing my coat over the other clothes, I couldn't help but tremble with cold, tightening my grip on the bouquet I was holding in one of my hands. The other was stretching out in front of me, pressing the door bell. I let my breath out and watched it as it drifted into the air, white clouds swirling around for a while before they vanished.

I suddenly felt like a silly high school kid again, freezing half to death in front of the house of my date. I sighed, closing my eyes for a brief moment. Imagining me and Spencer would do no good. Hmm, I like the sound of that. Me and Spencer. Spencer and me. Imagine us, Spencer, I thought and couldn't help but smile. Imagine me and you…

My thoughts were abruptly cut off as the door in front of me opened, revealing a smiling Aiden looking at me. "Hey, Ashley, come on in!" He let me get inside and shut the door. "Hi, Aiden," I answered and kissed him on the cheek. He nodded and looked over his shoulder. "Spence! She's here!" He shouted, then returning his attention to me.

"So how's my favorite florist doing?" he grinned and got my coat. I hit his arm playfully. "I'm the only florist you know, you said that much yourself last time we met, remember?" I tilted my head to the side and grinned back at him. "Ouch, busted," he chuckled, "but you'll always be my favorite one, no matter how many I get to know."

"Ashley, hi, sorry I took so long time!" Spencer popped up from behind Aiden, smiling at me. "No worries," I said and handed her the flowers. "Here, these are for you guys." Her eyes widened as she looked at them. "They're beautiful," she said and took a deep breath, savouring their scent. I couldn't rip my eyes off her while she did. How could one simple sniff like that leave me totally paralyzed?

No one seemed to notice though, which was lucky for me. Aiden had already returned to the living room, and Spencer went out to the kitchen to fix the flowers. I decided to do the wise thing, so I followed Aiden and started a conversation, hoping it would make my thoughts about a certain blonde go away, at least for the time being.

"So my plans of conquering the world before I turned 25 failed," he chuckled. "You know how it is," he sighed but his smile gave him away. He looked like a man content with life, a happy man who seemed to have everything in his life just like he wanted it to be. "Spence, life, work. Spence." He listed and bit his lip, smiling widely.

"Someday," I said and took a sip from my drink. "Yeah, maybe," he answered and got lost in thoughts for a moment. "Anyway," he said as he snapped out of it, "how about you? Married? Ever been married, ever going to be married?"

"Erm, no." I said and shook my head. "No. Maybe now the laws have been changed." I furrowed my brow slightly and looked at him. He seemed a bit confused. "How do you mean?"

"Well, I'm gay," I said and smiled, tucking away a strand of hair behind my ear, waiting for his reaction. I hadn't really expected him to start chuckling, but that's exactly what he did. I just stared at him, before it seemed to dawn upon him that I was serious. "Mmm," he said, cutting of his laughing, looking more serious as well. "Lovely," he said and paused, obviously not knowing what to say next. "Well done!" He added, but before he could say anything else, the door bell rang once again, making us turn our heads towards the door.

"That'll be Glen," he mumbled. It seemed like he still hadn't gotten over what I'd just told him. "Glen's coming," I repeated, suddenly everything seemed pretty clear to me. They were probably trying to hook me up with him. Not going to happen though, I smirked and watched Aiden open the door, letting in his best friend.

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After a lot of chitchatting and picking in the food, which tasted horrible (but at least he tried, I'll give Aiden credit for that), the conversation turned into Glen's love life and his lack of commitment to other people.

"It'll all change when you meet Ms Right," Spencer assured him. "And how am I supposed to know when I do that?" He fired back and looked sincerely interested. She smiled and started fingering with her napkin. "You don't know, not straight away. It just feels warm and comfortable," she blushed slightly as she was speaking. "And you hang in there and give it a chance, before you know it you're like "Yeah, this is it. Must be love"," she continued, smiling softly at Aiden.

"Yeah, I'm with her," he said and smiled. "I'm with her too," Glen said, getting up, ready to clean the table.

I jerked up from my paralyzed state I'd got in as soon as Spencer started to talk, using her low and comfortable voice, lulling me into believe everything she told me. Almost.

"I don't agree," I said quickly, making all of them turn around and looking questioningly at me. "I think you know immediately. You know, as soon as your eyes…" I paused and locked eyes with Spencer who looked at me with her brow slightly furrowed.

"Then everything that happens from then on, just proves that you had been right in that first moment. When you suddenly realized you had been incomplete and now you are whole." The table went silent, but I didn't pay much attention to anything except for Spencer, who stared back at me, my chocolate brown eyes locked with her ocean blue ones.

"Actually, I'm with her, I'd say," Aiden broke the silence at last. "Yeah, I'm with her too," Glen agreed and finally got up, grabbing the dishes. "You up to some dessert, girls?" He added, looking back at us. "We've got to eat something tonight that doesn't taste like it's been prepared by a monkey," he said and winked at Aiden.

"Yes," I said and smiled, grabbing my drink to take a sip. "No," Spencer said firmly. "No?" I repeated and looked questioningly at her. "No," she said again and shook her head slightly.

"If you think that, you think that everyone that doesn't have all that…" she shook her head more aggressively now as she tried to find a suitable word, "that… business, is settling for less." She leaned closer, leaning over the table, and stared challenging at me. "That's…not what I'm saying," I said, slightly taken aback by her sudden outburst.

"That kind of is what you're saying," she protested. Glen looked back and forth between us, bewildered and not really getting what just happened. "I think she said it a little nicer," he smiled, trying to ease the situation a bit. Aiden seemed to have gotten the same idea, because he soon turned back from the kitchen. "Dessert?" he asked and looked questioningly at us.

--

After finishing eating, I was left without anything to do. Trust me, I tried, but they just shoved me to the side, telling me that they wouldn't have anything of it. So, instead of being in the way, I decided to go outside for a bit. Their house is really lovely, with a perfect view of the ocean. I stood on the edge of the porch, looking at the waves crashing on the beach, when I suddenly felt a hand on my shoulder. I didn't even need to turn around to know who it was. The tingling sensation I felt as she touched my skin was all I needed to know.

"What are you doing?" she asked me softly, her lips so close to my ear that I had to suppress a gasp that threatened to blend into the chilly breeze. "You're cold," she added before I could answer her, moving her hands over my arms and trying to warm me with the help of the friction. "I…" I said hoarsely. "I'm good, really."

She just smiled at me before she grabbed my hand and dragged me back into the house.

--

"To the left," I directed Glen. He was driving me home after our night at Spencer and Aiden's. He stole a glance at me as he maneuvered the car. "You all right Ashley?" he asked, sounding slightly concerned. "Why, because I don't want to shag you?" I replied. Aiden had obviously told Glen all about my preferences, but that didn't seem to stop him anyway. He smiled. "You're welcome not to shag me, just don't sit in my car all bored like that."

There was a short silence after that. "I'm sorry," I groaned and leaned my head on one of my hands. "Really," I added, "I'm sorry." Glen turned around to look at me for a second before he turned his attention back on the road. "You've got something on your mind, that's obvious. You know what you should do? You should share with me." I snorted. "Because beneath this rugged exterior, there beats a sensitive soul," he added, ignoring my snort.

"No, there doesn't," I protested. "No, there doesn't" he admitted and grinned, "but tell me anyway." I stayed quiet for a while after this, unsure whether to say anything or not. "Have you…" I started slowly, "ever met someone and just…" I paused. "But they were with someone else already?"

"Yeah, sure. The hot ones are always taken." I smiled softly. So typical Glen, I thought. "So what do you do?" I asked. "What do I do?" he repeated. "I shag them," he chuckled. I let out a soft chuckle myself and shook my head. I should've known he would say that. "Partner is their problem, not mine."

I stared at my hands for a second, before I spoke up. "I think you don't mess with other couples. Don't cause that pain, ever. You just face fact that it can't happen…" I lifted my gaze and met his blue eyes looking at me as I continued. "Walk away. Hook up with someone available instead."

The rest of the drive was quiet, leaving me pretty much alone with my own thoughts. I thought about what I'd just said. Why does it always have to be so much easier said than done, I thought and let my gaze wander, looking at the landscape drifting by outside.

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I hope you enjoyed. I know this chapter may seem slower than the previous, but I guess it has to be like that sometimes.. Please review!


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